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* THE GLASS FACTORY. *
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*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
##$*;~,¨¨¨ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ¨¨¨,~;*$##
###$*;~,¨¨ AND A GIFT SHOP. ¨¨,~;*$###
####$*;~,¨ ¨,~;*$####
###$*;~,¨¨ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ¨¨,~;*$###
##$*;~,¨¨¨ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ¨¨¨,~;*$##
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ CONSIDERED POOR. ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
##$*;~,¨¨¨ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ¨¨¨,~;*$##
###$*;~,¨¨ ¨¨,~;*$###
####$*;~,¨ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¨,~;*$####
###$*;~,¨¨ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ¨¨,~;*$###
##$*;~,¨¨¨ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ¨¨¨,~;*$##
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~ * * ~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
##$*;~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~;*$##
###$*;~,¨¨ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ¨¨,~;*$###
####$*;~,¨ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ¨,~;*$####
###$*;~,¨¨ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ¨¨,~;*$###
##$*;~,¨¨¨ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¨¨¨,~;*$##
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
##$*;~,¨¨¨ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ¨¨¨,~;*$##
###$*;~,¨¨ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ¨¨,~;*$###
####$*;~,¨ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¨,~;*$####
###$*;~,¨¨ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ¨¨,~;*$###
##$*;~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~;*$##
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ LIT FROM BEHIND. ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
##$*;~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~;*$##
###$*;~,¨¨ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ¨¨,~;*$###
####$*;~,¨ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ¨,~;*$####
###$*;~,¨¨ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ¨¨,~;*$###
##$*;~,¨¨¨ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ¨¨¨,~;*$##
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~ * * ~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
##$*;~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~;*$##
###$*;~,¨¨ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ¨¨,~;*$###
####$*;~,¨ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ¨,~;*$####
###$*;~,¨¨ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ¨¨,~;*$###
##$*;~,¨¨¨ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ¨¨¨,~;*$##
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
##$*;~,¨¨¨ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ¨¨¨,~;*$##
###$*;~,¨¨ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ¨¨,~;*$###
####$*;~,¨ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ¨,~;*$####
###$*;~,¨¨ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ¨¨,~;*$###
##$*;~,¨¨¨ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ¨¨¨,~;*$##
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
##$*;~,¨¨¨ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ¨¨¨,~;*$##
###$*;~,¨¨ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ¨¨,~;*$###
####$*;~,¨ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ¨,~;*$####
###$*;~,¨¨ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ¨¨,~;*$###
##$*;~,¨¨¨ FLOOR. ¨¨¨,~;*$##
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
##$*;~,¨¨¨ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ¨¨¨,~;*$##
###$*;~,¨¨ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ¨¨,~;*$###
####$*;~,¨ MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ¨,~;*$####
###$*;~,¨¨ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ¨¨,~;*$###
##$*;~,¨¨¨ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ¨¨¨,~;*$##
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ BECOME STILL. ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~ * * ~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
##$*;~,¨¨¨ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ¨¨¨,~;*$##
###$*;~,¨¨ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ¨¨,~;*$###
####$*;~,¨ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ¨,~;*$####
###$*;~,¨¨ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ¨¨,~;*$###
##$*;~,¨¨¨ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ¨¨¨,~;*$##
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;
*;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~;*
$*;~,¨¨¨¨¨ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*$
#$*;~,¨¨¨¨ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ¨¨¨¨,~;*$#
##$*;~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~;*$##
###$*;~,¨¨ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ¨¨,~;*$###
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